Thursday 6 September 2012 02.48 EDT
First published on Thursday 6 September 2012 02.48 EDT

He was one of English cricket's best loved all-rounders but not even Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff's on-pitch antics will have prepared him for his latest venture – as a professional boxer.

Flintoff will get into the ring for the Sky1 series The Gloves Are Off, in which he will make his boxing debut in front of thousands of fans at the Manchester Arena to be screened live on boxing channel, BoxNation.

The former England cricket captain, who quit the game through injury in 2009, will be trained by Barry McGuigan for what Sky is dubbing his last chance to step back into the professional sporting arena.

Sky said the fight would be against a credible pro boxer opponent, with two hour-long episodes following Flintoff's preparation for the contest before the fight itself. Another hour-long episode will record the aftermath of his boxing debut.

Flintoff described it as: "An amazing opportunity to try a sport that I love, to be tutored by a man I respect and admire and, at the age of 34, the chance to be a professional sportsman again."

He said: "It's a huge challenge – probably the biggest I have ever undertaken, especially in such a short time frame. I have a long road ahead and a lot of work in front of me. The stakes are high."

Flintoff is a team captain on Sky1's sporting panel show, A League of Their Own, and previously tried out various sports on Sky's Soccer AM Saturday morning show.

It is not the first time a celebrity has stepped into the ring for a televised boxing match, although Flintoff is the highest profile sportsman to do it.

Sky's head of factual features, Celia Taylor, said: "Freddie's always been a boxing fan but this is a whole different ball game. Sky customers are in for a rollercoaster ride – there will be major ups, dramatic downs, bloody noses and very real tears."

The Sky 1 show will be co-produced by Fulwell 73 and Merlin Elite and will air later this year.

McGuigan said: "It is an enormous undertaking to have a professional fight having no experience whatsoever. It is even more demanding when you're a legend in another sport.

"The pressure for Freddie, myself and my son [boxing trainer Shane] is phenomenal given the little time we have. But I'm convinced Freddie will make a successful pro debut as a boxer."

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